Change Your Stars
by SeptemberGirl84
Summary: Slow burn SnowBarry. What happens when Barry decides Iris isn't his destiny?
1. Chapter 1

Super cold air whipped around, pulling every ounce of warmth from the room Caitlin Snow stood in. Hungrily she fed on the sweltering heat, drawing it down and into her skin. Just as fast as the banks of heat lamps could pump out energy, Caitlin gobbled it up. It was the only safe way Killer Frost and Caitlin could feed their powers. In the past they would pull the energy from the people around them a little at a time, but ever since Cisco found that out, he went out of his way to build her a room that would charge her battery safely. It was ecstasy feeling the heat seep into her, making her giddy with power. Laughing the woman spun, arms outstretched.

"Feel good Caitlin?" Cisco's voice drifted over the intercom.

"This is fantastic Cisco!" Both women spoke together, voices blended. "It's even better than when I tried to cool down that little bomb last year."

"That 'little bomb' was big enough to wipe Central City off the map if it had gone off." Iris stated in her clipped tone that she liked to use for anyone who wasn't Barry. Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"It's a good things Dad was there, wasn't it?" Nora commented. Caitlin nodded, even though she knew that no one could see her.

"Hey Cisco, you wanna turn this off?" Caitlin called. "Killer Frost and I are fully charged."

The lights shut off, still glowing hot from pumping out so much power. The heat seal on the door hissed as it released and the door opened, showing Barry and Cisco waiting on the other side. The others were in the cortex, waiting for them. With a small smile Caitlin joined them, all three of them walking back to the heart of the complex.

"How does it feel to be fully charged?" Cisco asked eagerly, tablet in his hand.

"Like I'm unstoppable and bulletproof." Killer Frost echoed in Caitlin's voice, the two of them slowly integrating into one personality. "It makes me want to see just exactly what I can do. The only time we felt this in control and powerful was when we were with Savitar."

"Tell me about it. You were ruthless back then." Barry shook his head. "My leg still twinges when it gets cold."

Caitlin cringed at that, feeling bad that she had hurt one of her very best friends. At the same time though, she couldn't really bring herself to care. Barry was reckless and didn't think oftentimes. Suffering an injury was something that he needed to deal with. Especially since his powers usually heal everything back to 100%. Killer Frost was influencing her more and more every day.

"Sorry Barry." Caitlin frowned, automatically apologizing. "My memories from that time are fuzzy. I was fighting to break through, but Killer Frost was stronger than me at the time."

"Don't worry about it." Barry shrugged. "Since you fed today, how about in the morning you and I go head to head to gauge how well you handle your powers?"

"We can go now if you want, I'm antsy for a fight." Killer Frost purred, Caitlin sharing her consciousness with the other personality. It was odd when they swapped point of views, like Caitlin could see and hear what was going on, but couldn't say anything.

"I would, but Iris has booked us reservations for our anniversary." Barry stuffed his hands into his pockets as they rounded the corner into the cortex. There was a suit bag thrown over the back of one of the chairs. Iris was dressed in a flashy red dress, hair done up and makeup on a bit heavier than normal.

"And Barry needs to change if we are going to make it on time." Iris picked up her clutch purse, opening it to make sure the contents were all there.

Even in her suit Caitlin felt frumpy around Iris. The woman just had a way of making Caitlin insecure about herself. Any time she wasn't around Barry's wife, she had no problem holding her own. The one thing that made her feel better was the fact that Iris was powerless, just a normal human. Whereas Caitlin and Killer Frost were a literal goddess, her powers and identity having been taken from Greek mythology.

"Good luck with that." Cisco shook his head with a laugh as Barry grabbed his bag and zipped away to change.

"I've never figured out how Barry can have super speed and still be late to almost everything he has to go to." Caitlin shrugged, striding past Iris and heading to her lab. She wanted to get changed out of her suit, go home, and curl up in sweats before getting lost in Netflix.

"Caitlin, can I ask you a question?" Iris footsteps followed Caitlin to her lab, voice pitched quiet.

"Sure." Not really, but did she really have a choice.

"I know at some point in the future we have Nora, but during your research on Barry, did you ever happen to examine his, well, you know." Iris was blushing, and it took everything for Caitlin not to laugh.

"No, there has never been a reason to worry about reproduction. Why?" Just shoot me now, Killer Frost whispered in Caitlin's head.

"I was just wondering." The other woman shifted uncomfortably. "When we are together it's fantastic, but after I cramp so hard and ache worse than any period I've ever had."

"Does he use his speed with you? That could be dangerous if you don't have meta healing abilities." Caitlin was genuinely concerned, never having delved into this particular field of study regarding Barry.

"He tries not to, but sometimes he gets carried away." Iris looked pained to even be talking about this to Caitlin. As a doctor, Caitlin was concerned for Iris and Barry, but as a woman more than halfway in love with her husband, she wanted to drop the subject and never revisit it.

"If you can manage to get me a sample I can take a look, but other than that, I don't know what to tell you." The doctor shrugged as she stepped into a curtained off cubicle to change back into civilian clothes.

"Thanks Caitlin." Footsteps walked away and Caitlin let out a quiet sigh.

"You're not seriously going to run tests on Barry's -" Frost asked.

"I guess I am." Caitlin replied. "I've just been avoiding the subject."

"Too bad you won't have a practical base to go off of." Frost purred. "I sure do miss Savitar sometimes. He could make me melt with just a touch."

"As much as I am jealous of that, please keep those memories to yourself. I don't need that added to the rest of my penance." Caitlin huffed before going about her day, running all sorts of tests and experiments.

* * *

Each day brought Caitlin and Killer Frost closer. They shared almost everything, even their attraction to Barry Allen and their irritation at Iris West-Allen. More and more now they would find themselves wandering aimlessly through S.T.A.R., finding secluded places where she could sit and relax away from everyone. Eventually she would return to to cortex to find that no one missed her, or so she thought.

Caitlin was walking into the cortex through a side entrance when a voice stopped her.

"Decided to return to us after your solitude?" Sherloque asked quietly, swirling the tea in his cup slowly.

"Sometimes I just need to get away and have some quiet time." Caitlin shrugged walking further into the heart of their operations.

"It also must hurt watching them together."

That stopped her in her tracks. Blinking she turned to look at this version of Wells, face composed even though her heart raced. The two of them stared each other down, not realizing that everyone else in the room was watching them. Caitlin felt her eyes go blue and Killer Frost said very quietly,

"Leave that subject alone Wells and we won't hurt you. Mention it again and you will learn my bite is worse than my bark."

"You ok Aunt Caitlin?" Nora asked, breaking the tension. Caitlin blinked and Killer Frost faded away.

"Yes, I'm all good Nora." She turned on her heel and moved to settle down at her station, the younger girl wandering over to look over her shoulder. On the monitor was the video from a micro slide with her Caitlin's blood on it. Caitlin was charting the differences in her blood after every charging and trip out into the field, trying to map out how her powers worked exactly.

"What was Sherloque annoying you about?" The young woman asked before being distracted by what was on her monitor.

"Shway! Are those your cells?"

"They are. I'm studying my own physiology in order to learn more about how my powers work since I didn't get them from the particle accelerator explosion." Caitlin explained, pointing out specifics on her monitor to the young speedster.

"Cryogenics can be used in countless ways to treat all sorts of diseases and disorders, from slowing the effects to being able to isolate the malignancy and remove the sickness."

"This was your field of study before the particle accelerator blew, wasn't it?" Nora asked in fascination.

"Yes it was. I was a bio-engineer and geneticist. Seems like it was fate I was here when the accelerator blew and made your dad the Flash. Otherwise, I'm not sure how well he would have survived and learned about his powers." Caitlin nodded, surprised by how Nora was paying attention to her. Normally Caitlin was a background player, only being needed when someone was hurt. It was nice to have someone to talk to.

"Caitlin's right." Barry added from across the room. "If I hadn't been helped by her and Cisco, and even Thawne as Wells, I don't know what I would have done."

"Well, we don't have to wonder, now do we?" Iris interjected, wanting the attention back on her, or at least away from Caitlin.

It was a disturbing pattern that the ice meta had observed over the last year and a half of Iris being 'team leader'. Every time the conversation included Caitlin, or had anything to do with Caitlin, the other woman would steer that attention back in her direction, effectively dismissing Caitlin. It made her blood boil, but there was nothing she could do about it. Caitlin took a deep breath and let the moment pass, but not before Nora's sharp eyes picked up on the tension.

"Nope." Cisco answered chewing on a Twizzler. "Team Flash saves the day, every day. Now that we have Frost on our side too we've got an even better arsenal of powers that we can use."

"Not to mention your inflated ego." Caitlin teased with a gentle laugh.

"Sherloque is the one with the inflated ego." Cisco defended. "I am simply confident in my abilities."

"It doesn't matter who had the ego, as long as we all work together to get things done." Iris huffed, not seeing how Cisco, Caitlin and Ralph all rolled their eyes. Sherloque did though and ended up snorting into his tea.

"I'm hungry." Nora popped up suddenly. "Who wants Big Belly?"

"You're always hungry." Iris complained. "If it wasn't for us having the money from Wells and S.T.A.R. I would have no idea how to feed you."

"Relax Iris." Barry laughed. "We would figure something out. I doubt Caitlin would let me starve to death."

"Nope. There are dozens of ways to keep Barry and Nora fed, and we've only tried a few up to now." Caitlin sent a smug smirk to Iris, glad to have the upper hand. After all, she was Barry's doctor and knew more about his physiology than anyone else.

"Race ya!" Nora shouted before taking off, her father taking off right after her.

"What am I going to do with the two of them?" Iris asked, but no one bothered to answer her.


	2. Chapter 2

A bolt of lightning zipped past Frost, the name that Caitlin adopted for when she was in the field. Quickly she dodged and sent a flurry of angry ice shards in the direction of the lightning before spraying the entire field that she stood in. Wind whipped past her as a hand pushed her sideways, making Frost stumble. Letting out a frustrated growl, she balled up her fists and pulled her elbows in, shooting a concentrated blast of organic liquid nitrogen out from her entire body. There was an anguished gurgle and the lightning stopped. Off to her right stood Barry in his flash suit, frozen solid from head to toe. As Frost approached she saw him trying to vibrate himself free. Opening her hand she poured even more power over him, refreezing anything that he managed to melt away. She had to be careful though and not freeze him through and through.

"Not bad." Cisco stepped through the portal beside her, having been sitting at the other end of the tarmac, watching their vitals. "Your endurance is getting better. In the past you would have tapped out after that shard blast."

"You can thaw Barry out any time now." Iris said over the com, demanding that she come and watch the training session.

"He's fine Iris." Frost growled smooth as silk. "He needs to figure out how to escape on his own."

"I'm the leader here, and I say thaw him out."

Frost was about to open her mouth and chew Iris out when Nora asked,

"Isn't it a good idea for Dad to figure out how to break free on his own? In case we run into another ice meta."

"Nora's right Iris." Cisco added. "Just hang tight, he's beginning to break though."

Hairline cracks were appearing in the ice covering Barry. Caitlin could hear him vibrating, and she could see steam rising from him. Faster and faster he vibrated until suddenly the ice shell shattered, Frost throwing up a shield to protect her and Vibe from the ice. Chest heaving Barry told Iris,

"Iris, I'm okay. You need to trust Caitlin and Cisco. We know what we are doing; this isn't the first time that we've trained like this."

The three of them stepped through the portal Cisco opened, taking them back to the other end of the pavement, joining Iris and Nora. Caitlin saw that XS was in her uniform and she wondered what that was about.

"Do you want to train too Nora?" Iris asked her daughter, tone suggesting that she thinks Nora shouldn't be doing anything at all.

"Yeah, come on and let your old man teach you some new tricks." Barry bounced from foot to foot, but Nora shook her head.

"No, I want to go up against Aunt Caitlin." Everyone stared at Nora like she had lost her mind, and Caitlin felt the need to speak up.

"Nora, are you sure? I mean, Barry had a hard time up against me, and he's got a lot more experience than you do sweetie."

"I'm sure." She was so earnest that Caitlin merely shrugged and waved her hand.

"Head down to the other end and wait for me. Defend your position and try to defeat me." Caitlin barely got the words out before purple lightning streaked past. Caitlin laughed at her enthusiasm, but Iris looked irritated. It actually made Frost grin with mirth that Iris was having a bad time of it. Their personalities were becoming interchangeable now, slowly merging into one.

"Go easy on her, Nora's never been up against anyone like you before." Barry grabbed her wrist, eyes dark. A quick moment passed between the two of them, but there was something significant to it. Frost didn't have time to analyze though, and decided to dwell on it later.

"Don't worry dad, we'll go easy on your baby girl." Frost jetted away, ice billowing in front of and behind her. She raced to the end of the tarmac and was met with a barrage of lightning, all of it coming fast and wild.

Frost had to drop down low to avoid a few of the blasts before roaring high into the sky, using the bright sunlight to her advantage. Ice was highly reflective, and Nora had her back to the sun. Light bounced off the ice in a kaleidoscope before the ice was shattered by lightning. Frost tumbled to the ground, just barely catching herself in time to land in a crouch. Nora clapped her hands and sent a sonic wave at Frost, but she managed to shield herself from the worst of the blast. The speedster then came in close, going for hand to hand, trying to trap Frost's hands and keep her from using her powers. The struggle was real, but in the end it was Frost who got the upper hand. She managed to encase the younger woman's hands in ice.

"Dude, you've got some mad skills." Cisco breached to them as Barry ran up.

"Which one of us were you referring to?" Caitlin asked as Nora worked her way out of the ice cuffs.

"Both of you." Cisco was going full on geek out, making them all smile.

"You did good Nora." Barry praised. "You were a tougher fight for Frost that I was."

"It's because she knows you better, and can figure out your fighting style." Nora replied, ice breaking away. Caitlin actually felt a glimmer of pride that Nora had put up such a good fight.

"I have a feeling you're gonna be a great speedster once you figure everything out." Caitlin said proudly, feeling her stomach rumble. "But can we get back to the lab? I'm starving."

"Your wish is my command." Cisco opened a breach and they all stepped through as a separate breach opened for Iris, taking them all to the same destination.

* * *

Caitlin was running a test in her lab when the meta alert alarm went off. Quickly she joined the others as Iris rattled information off.

"CCPD just got a call of a drowning at Central City Mall. Looks like someone collapsed and had water mixed with blood gurgling up out of their mouth."

"That doesn't sound like a regular drowning." Barry muttered.

"Sounds hinky to me." Cisco added with a shake of his head.

"It sounds like an extreme case of dry drowning." Caitlin said as she joined the group. "It happens when water gets into a person's lungs. The lungs can't process oxygen properly, causing the person to literally drown even though they are on dry land."

"Would that cause water to pour out of somebody?" Iris asked.

"Unlikely." Sherloque interjected.

"Not usually." Caitlin shook her head, brain running fast to try and figure out what the cause could be. "For there to be water being expelled from the body there had to be one of two reasons. One is that the lungs were filled to capacity, but that would happen mere minutes after being submerged in water."

"According to the report the person was on the second level of the mall and nowhere near any of the fountains." Barry read over the initial police report.

"In that case, we are most likely dealing with a meta. Someone who can control water." Ralph shrugged. "But you've handled a meta like that in the past. Mardon, right?"

"He could control the weather." Cisco shook his head. "No, this person can only control the element of water, making them more specialized in their attack."

"Any thoughts Caitlin?" Barry asked, making the ice meta look up in surprise. Everyone in the room was staring at her as Nora come racing in.

"I just saw something at the mall that I think you need to check out."

"Let me guess, the extreme drowning on the second level?" Iris asked drily, tone and demeanor somewhat lackadaisical for the situation. Caitlin sighed, wishing the other woman would take their job seriously.

"Shway. How'd you know?"

"Police scanner." Barry replied, grabbing his extra CSI kit. "Now that we've got a crime scene, you and I are up."

The two of them blasted away as Caitlin joined Cisco at his console. She needed to see what happened in order to determine what kind of meta they were up against. Cisco already had the feed from the security cameras up and was playing them back. Sudden;y Caitlin saw something.

"Stop it and go back a few frames."

Cisco did so and switched the feed over to the plasma screen, Caitlin moving closer to it in order to see better. Feeling dread in her stomach she asked,

"Can you run it forward slowly? I think I see something."

In the middle of the frame a man stood in line, waiting to order at the food court. He was a basic man, nothing extraordinary about him. He wore jeans and a polo shirt. As they watch a younger man moves through the line, crossing from the opposite side of the man to the side facing the camera. His hand comes up and touches the victim on the arm as he passes. Usually no one would find that suspicious, that move generally being one of apology or thank you for being let through. This time though, a shadow passed over the two men, covering the victim before being sucked into the meta. The younger man disappeared into the crowd as the other man started choking and collapsed, water and blood coming out of his mouth.

"What the hell was that?" Ralph asked, voice troubled.

"I'm not sure, but those signs look like someone aspirating." Caitlin mused. "Choking on something. What troubles me is the amount of fluid that came up. Normally it isn't enough to soak the victim and pool on the ground."

"Hey guys, we've got another problem." Barry's voice sounded grim and confused over the comm. "Nora's sending a picture now, but the vic doesn't look like he should."

The image that came though was one of a dehydrated and mummified body. It looked almost like something out of the movies that Cisco loved to watch. Caitlin felt Killer Frost rise in the back of her mind.

"That's not good." Her other personality said in her mind.

"Why?"

"Savitar told me about this meta. Tell the others I'll explain when they get back."

Caitlin nodded before speaking up.

"When the two of you get done with the crime scene, come back to S.T.A.R; Killer Frost has some information on this meta."

* * *

"So what kind of meta are we dealing with here?" Iris asked, leaning back in her chair, arms crossed. Caitlin rolled her eyes and let Killer Frost take over. Barry and Nora had returned several hours later from the crime scene with barely any more answers than when they left.

"He's called the Duster." Killer Frost began, pacing back and forth in front of everyone. "Savitar had come across him once and barely survived the encounter."

"You're taking all this info from Savitar?" Iris scoffed. "Why should we believe anything he was to have supposed to have said?"

"Because he took me to Earth-7 to show me." Killer Frost growled. "Cisco can show you."

Cisco opened a viewing portal to the earth specified. They looked smoother than the regular portals he would make. They were a one way window to the world they were interested in. Before them they saw a planet that was barren and dry, similar to Mars except with one huge difference. Bones were piled everywhere and the skeletons of once great cities scraped the sky. There was nothing living.

"What happened?" Barry asked moving to stand next to Killer Frost in front of the portal, trying to get a better look.

Warmth radiated off of the speedster and the cold woman opened her senses up to it, soaking it in. True the solar lamps charged her fast, but there was something different about Barry's heat that made Caitlin and Killer Frost want more. She took a half step closer to him, missing the closeness that they once had.

"Duster did this." Frost said quietly. "Savitar said that he craves water, and that he can never be satisfied. His powers make things look contradictory, and it had something to do with the way he draws moisture out of his victims. Initially it looks like a drowning, but that's only the start. Once all the fluids are out of the body he somehow absorbs it into himself. My guess is that it's easier for him to soak up the fluids if they are outside of the body than sucking it through the victims skin. I'm not sure if he can travel the multiverse like a speedster and breacher can, but I do know that when he runs out of water, he either moves on or perishes along with everyone else."

"So how are we supposed to stop this meta?" Cisco asked. "Water is everywhere, even in the driest deserts we have."

"Savitar told me that he thought I had the powers needed to stop Duster." Frost mused aloud. "He theorized that if I could freeze the meta to absolute zero, I would be able to eliminate any moisture around him. Basically I would starve him to death."

"That could work." Cisco mused. "But how would we draw him out?"

A chime rang through the Cortex and Iris read,

"Facial recognition got a match." She swiped the information up onto the plasma.

"Meet Alexander Ford. Petty criminal and foster child. Parents are listed as deceased since he was 5. According to this, he aged out of the foster system three weeks ago."

"So just like every earth there are doppelgangers. Earth-7's version may be dead, but ours isn't." Barry crossed his arms, studying the CCPD mugshot of their meta. "At least we know a name, now we can go about figuring out how to draw him out and stop him."

Caitlin turned and began walking away, calling over her shoulder,

"If I'm going to take him down, I'm going to need to power up. I have a feeling Duster is going to be tough to beat."


	3. Chapter 3

Caitlin lay on the floor of the White Hot Room, as Cisco has dubbed it, soaking in as much heat as possible. Thinking about Savitar reopened some old wounds for Caitlin and Killer Frost, wounds that would be slow to heal over again. If they ever healed at all. It was hard enough to watch Barry with Iris, but having to remember how the other Barry had been with her was hard to swallow.

He may have been warped and twisted by pain and power, but at his core Savitar was still Barry. Sweet and caring Barry, who worshiped the ground she walked on. He gave her everything he had, and only asked for her loyalty in return. She had given that to him without question. Yes, the Caitlin part of her knew what she was doing was wrong, but the other part of her wanted the freedom to enjoy being with the man she loved. Sacrificing her true self just to experience something she knew would hurt her in the end.

"I miss you Barry." Caitlin whispered, a tear leaking out if her eye.

Even though she missed Savitar, the person she really missed was her Barry. The Barry that used to be one of her best friends, the one she could tell all her fears to. The one who helped her face her fears and be healed. That Barry was gone though; swallowed up first by the paranoia that Savitar would murder Iris, then by Iris herself. His world revolved around her now, and there was no room in it for anyone else, not really.

The lamps clicked off and the heat slowly faded from the room, but Caitlin refused to move. Things were better now after having defeated DeVoe and pulled Barry out of the Speed Force, but there were times when Caitlin wished she hadn't come back to S.T.A.R. The pressure of maintaining a facade around the team was sometimes too great, and Caitlin would back away, letting Killer Frost take control. Now though that the two parts of her were communicating easily, they could feel themselves slowly merging into one personality. It made them both sad, but they knew in the end, only one of them would survive and it would be Caitlin.

There was a hiss as the door to her sanctuary opened, bringing with it the familiar smell of ozone and cologne.

"What do you want Barry?" Time to put up the walls around her heart again. She continued to lay there with her eyes closed, hearing the speedster walk up to where she lay. There was a sign and a rustle of cloth before she felt him sit down beside her. Slowly she opened her eyes, waiting for Barry to say something.

"You and Savitar were close, weren't you?" Of all the things for him to say, Caitlin wasn't expecting this.

"We were just as close, if not closer than you and I used to be." She swallowed back a lump and sat up, crossing her legs and looking him in the eye. "But that's all in the past now. We've changed and so has the dynamic we used to have."

Barry frowned, looking down at his hands. He was slowly twisting his wedding band around his finger, sadness hanging about him. It hurt Caitlin to see him this way, but there was nothing she could do about it. She could mend his body, but not his mind or his heart. She waited patiently for what he had to say.

"When I ran to the future to figure out who Savitar was, I came to visit you." His words were slow and quiet. "You were full Killer Frost, no hint of Caitlin left. You said you were glad that I made you the way you were. Do you still think that?"

Caitlin was slow to answer, considering her words carefully.

"Yes, I do." She reached out a hand and laid it on his sleeve. "Do I regret all the things I did as her? Yes. In the end, I am who I am supposed to be. Cold, calculating, closed off from the world around me. The Caitlin Snow from before died, and in her place I was born. My alter ego took control for a time, drunk on the power of being free. Now though, it's just us, learning how to get along."

"I wish I had been there for you when you were going through all of this." Barry shook his head.

"I wish you had too, but your obsession always has been and always will be Iris. No one else is important enough to you to even register on your radar." Caitlin sighed and stood up, needing to move after having been still for so long.

"That's not true, Cait!" Barry scrambled to stand, to block her from escaping. Caitlin's temper flared and she spun to stare him down.

"Yes, it is." Caitlin crossed her arms, trying to hold herself together. "But you know what? I am strong enough and smart enough to work with the hand I have been dealt by you. Could I be bitter about you ruining the timeline with Flashpoint? Sure, but I'm not. Before, I had no powers, I was just a brain. Now though, I am a goddess incarnate and I plan to use my powers to save us."

Barry stood there stunned as Caitlin turned on her heel and walked away. She knew she wouldn't get far, but it felt better to have him do the chasing for once. Things were always in flux around them, and after a while it just got tiring. Even as Killer Frost Caitlin never liked change. Caitlin made it all the way to the time vault before she was pulled into the room and the door slammed shut. Barry looked hurt and angry, and part of her thrilled that he had all his attention on her.

"I've apologized over and over about Flashpoint. Please stop rubbing it in my face; I still have nightmares about it. About forgetting all of you; of you Cait, being erased from my life. That's still my fear, that one day you'll be gone and so will the others." Barry sighed and hung his head.

"I can't lose you."

Caitlin's heart broke for the man she loved. Unable to help herself she reached up and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close and holding on tight. His arms squeezed, holding her close as he cried, whispering over and over again that he was sorry. It was a storm of emotion for the speedster, and she wondered when it was that he had last let go of all the pain and responsibility he felt.

"Ssshhh Barry." Caitlin pulled back and cupped his face like a mother or a lover would. His eyes were red and so was the tip of his nose. She smiled softly and asked,

"How long have you been holding that in?"

"Too long."

"Does Iris know you are this tormented by the past?" Caitlin hated to bring her up, but it needed to be done.

"No." Barry shook his head, letting her go and sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. Caitlin moved to sit in front of him, waiting for him to continue.

"I love Iris, I really do. I just can't talk to her about what goes on in a way I can with you. She loses interest and her eyes glaze over five seconds into anything I say unless it revolves around her. Sometimes I wonder why I even married her in the first place; it's not like I can share what's going on with her in a way she'll understand."

"She's your destiny apparently." Caitlin said gently. "Even if you wanted to change your situation, it wouldn't work. The by line and Nora prove that. You are stuck on this path just like I am."

"What if I'm beginning to realize I don't want what the future says will happen?" Barry glanced sadly up at the news article displayed on the wall. Caitlin looked up and saw the image flicker, the whole page changing briefly. Hope fluttered in her heart as Barry stood up to get a closer look.

"I wonder what the future would look like if I picked someone else to spend my life with."

In that moment the newspaper article changed. The story was still about how Barry goes missing in the future, but the byline is written by someone else. Not Iris West-Allen. After a few moments of the two of them looking on in silence, the article shifts back to the original one. They both sighed and looked at each other, Barry eyes troubled and Caitlin heart broken.

"I guess you can't change your destiny." Barry muttered, and Caitlin had a troubling thought.

"If you change who you are with now, doesn't that mean Nora gets erased from the timeline?"

"Possibly. It's hard to tell since she's in this timeline now. The one she came from no longer exists simply by the fact that she is here. She's changed her own future, and it's only a matter of time before it catches up with her." Barry rubbed his face, ring flashing in the light.

"Let's focus on stopping the Duster first, then we can figure out what to do about your future." Caitlin, taking a chance reached up and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. She then quickly spun away and walked through the door of the time vault.


	4. Chapter 4

After their conversation that day, Barry began to act more like his old self. He began to include Caitlin and Cisco more in his life, which was nice, but at the same time they had to deal with Iris frowning in the background. It was feeling more and more like the old days when Iris would just hang out at S.T.A.R. instead of bossing everyone around. The focus was more on the science and research of stopping metas as well as studying their powers. It took a few days, but in the end they were able to pinpoint a location for the Duster.

"Are you sure this is going to work Cisco?" Barry asked as he, Nora and Caitlin stood in an abandoned scrapyard in Keystone. Cisco was back at the lab, monitoring everything, his powers still recovering from Cicada.

"The way Dr. Snow set up the gene therapy for him and Caitlin involves the use of heavy water. It's different than how regular heavy water is produced. Normal heavy water is a byproduct of nuclear power plants, but in this case, the organic matter that Caitlin produces when she uses her powers are even heavier. This causes her ice to be more resilient and harder to break than regular ice. If we can lure the Duster close enough, he should be able to pick up Caitlin with his senses and he would be trapped, lured by her pheromones."

Caitlin rolled her head on her neck, trying to loosen up. Yes, this was her plan, but that didn't mean it was a plan she wanted to go through with. She was the bait and the trap, all rolled into one. To make things more difficult for the meta they were trying to catch, Frost wore full leathers in the same material as Barry's suit. This outfit was black though, with silver and blue accents. She was covered from neck to toe, leaving her hands free. This was to reduce the surface area that could be affected by Duster.

"Are you ok Aunt Caitlin?" Nora asked as Barry paced back and forth, eyes darting back and forth between her father and unofficial aunt. Caitlin nodded and closed her eyes, falling back and letting Killer Frost take over. Opening now electric blue eyes she flexed her fingers and created a small ball of cryo nitrogen, baiting the trap.

"Let's catch a meta." The other half of her personality purred, ready for a fight.

"Nora and I will lead him to you." Barry reached over and touched her shoulder, brushing her hair back in the process. It was a very tender gesture, and one Caitlin was sure Nora hadn't missed. "Be careful Cait."

"I'll take good care of Caity Barry." Frost smirked, knowing it unsettled him when he was addressed by her. Both sides of her liked toying with him, teasing him. It was the only interaction she really enjoyed with him now that he's married. The occasional flirt here or there, but that was all. Both speedsters flashed away, leaving Caitlin and Frost alone.

"Too bad he's married to that thorn Iris. We could really burn the world down if we wanted. That's why Savitar and I made one hell of a team." Frost murmured in their mind.

"She is a bit of a bitch, isn't she?" Caitlin asked in return. "In the beginning she was just annoying, always wanting to hang around Barry once she realized he had powers. Over time she's just devolved into a real pain in the ass. Always in the way, never contributing anything to the team."

"Wow Caity girl." Frost sounded impressed. "Seems like I'm influencing you more than I realized."

"I'm going to be sad when you eventually fade away, but I love the fact that you are making me more confident in who I am and what I can do." Caitlin replied honestly.

"Don't worry Caity, I'll leave you all by best qualities." Frost smirked as the comm crackled to life.

"Heads up, here he comes." Cisco called and Frost focused, building the ball in her hands larger. They watched as a figure entered the other end of the scrapyard, and suddenly there was a tugging sensation all over her body. The meta was already pulling at the moisture in her body.

Frost grit her teeth and dug her heels in. The pull kept getting stronger as Duster came closer, face twisted into a grimace, his hands up and sucking at her. Frost held her hands far apart and let go of the bomb in her hands, letting it fly at the man approaching her. The man froze in his tracks, encased in ice. Cautiously Caitlin approached, not sure if they had succeeded or not. She reached out to the ice and found herself trapped, the meta still able to pull her moisture out of her, the ice around him melting into his body. His hand shot out, wrapping around her throat, ice falling away from them both.

Frost doubled down on pumping out the cold, straining to overload the meta. Icy fire burned in her veins, making her scream in pain. Slowly, slowly though she was making progress. The hand around her neck began to stiffen, skin turning a sick blue color. Her whole body began to burn as his slowly froze, the scream coming from her throat rising in pitch. They knew that they needed to do this alone; if Barry or Nora helped her, he would be able to pull from an alternate source of moisture.

From a distance Barry and Nora watched in fear and awe. Caitlin and Frost were glowing blue white in the fading sunlight, shining like a star. Tears streamed down the cheeks of everyone listening, and they could hear the faint sound of the monitors in the cortex beginning to ring. Yes, the meta was being defeated, but Caitlin was dying too, pumping her life force into the cold that fueled her powers. They both knew it too.

"Caitlin, I think this is going to be the end of me." Frost sounded winded and weak, voice thin. "There isn't going to be enough left of me to hang on."

"Please no, I don't think I can do this without you." Caitlin cried even as the meta in their hands continued to freeze.

"Dear Caity, you have always been more than capable of taking care of yourself. I have faith that you'll manage without me." Images of Barry flashed through their mind and Frost laughed gently.

"Don't give up on our love. Remember, the future isn't written in stone. You can change your stars." With a cool wisp, Killer Frost disappeared. With an anguished scream Caitlin let go, blasting everything she had at the Duster, disintegrating him into snow.

Sobbing Caitlin collapsed to the ground, mourning for the other half of her soul. Her sister, her best friend, her enemy. She seemed empty now, lost and adrift. She was so wrapped up in her grief that she never noticed Barry scoop her up and run her back to S.T.A.R. Labs.


	5. Chapter 5

A few days passed after Killer Frost died, Caitlin refusing to leave her lab. She was numb in a way she had never been before. She was colder than when she had been when Killer Frost had taken over. Part of her wished she had died when Killer Frost had. The rest of the team left her to her mourning, not sure what to say or do. Cisco kept her fed, but other than that, they all kept their distance.

One evening Caitlin was wandering through S.T.A.R., lost in her thoughts when she stumbled upon the time vault. The door was open and the glow was a beacon to her restlessness. Stepping into the room she was surprised to see Barry sitting on the floor, staring at the newspaper article from the future. It was flickering back and forth between the story that they have seen for the last several years and a completely different article all together.

"Barry?" Caitlin asked gently, stopping beside him. "Are you okay?"

"I should be asking you that." Barry looked up at her, eyes dark and troubled. He motioned her to sit down next to him. Quickly she settled down, tucking her legs underneath her, shoulder touching his.

"I'm slowly healing." Caitlin confessed. "After having been so afraid of becoming her, getting to know her and then losing her has been a lot to take. The last few years have been rough on me. I'm surprised I have held up as well as I have."

"I wish I could go back and change all that - without creating another Flashpoint." Barry sighed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I can't though. I messed up enough the first time I did that."

"Give me some time, and I'll be ok." Caitlin sighed as well. "I'm just glad I have you and the others to help get me through this."

"This time you can count on me." Barry hugged her quickly. "I won't let you down like I did last time."

Caitlin didn't know what to say to that, so they sat in silence for a while, watching the flickering screen in front of them. The original article was about Barry disappearing during a crisis, but the other one covered one of the new technological advantages of Smoak Industries. Strangely, as she watched the future swing back and forth Caitlin felt a hope bloom in her chest. If Barry was able to change his future, then maybe Caitlin could change hers. She would be able to harness her powers even more and use them for good, to protect the ones she loves.

"You still haven't decided what to do yet regarding Iris?" She asked softly, leaning her head on Barry's shoulder, exhaustion creeping in around the edges. Slowly she settled more and more into Barry, feeling his hold on her tighten. He was so warm and comforting, feeling like home.

"Not yet." Barry whispered back, rubbing his hand up and down her arm, soothing her to sleep, eyes never leaving the screen in front of him. Once she was fully asleep Barry turned his head and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. "But soon."

The screen flickered and lingered on the new article for several minutes before reverting back to the original. Gently Barry stood and made his way to Caitlin's lab, settling her in a bed for the night.

* * *

It was another day of training down in the speed lab for Barry, Caitlin, Cisco, Nora and Ralph. They were rotating sparring partners, all of them needing to learn how to fight against each type of meta that they were. Of course, Iris was there butting in and giving poor suggestions. Now that Killer Frost had been absorbed into Caitlin she found that her temper had a much shorter fuse, and that she was biting her tongue more and more around Iris.

"Caitlin, you really should hit Ralph in the core, that way he'll be too winded to fight back." Iris called out. Frost, the name she chose to go by in the field, stopped moving and stood still. Emotionlessly she dodged Ralph's punch before turning to look at Iris. The temperature in the room began to fall, garnering the attention of the others.

"Caitlin?" Cisco called, voice troubled. He stepped up next to her and touched her arm gently, pulling back quickly as the fingers of his glove frosted over.

"Really Iris, do you think you can do my job better than me?"

"No, but as an observer, I can see when you make a mistake." The dark skinned woman stood taller, but the ice meta still stood taller by several inches, intimidating the other woman from halfway across the room.

"Really? A mistake?" The cold woman parroted, stepping forward, icy fog traveling in her wake. "Killer Frost may be gone, but you have to realize that we were part of the same person. Same temperment, same opinions."

"That sounds like a threat." Ralph spoke up in his usual bumbling way and Caitlin smirked.

"No shit Dibney." Caitlin turned and began to walk out of the speed lab, but Barry grabbed her arm, not caring if his suit frosted over.

"Hang on Cait." Barry said quietly "Is this a side effect of Killer Frost?"

His gentle question broke through the attitude, making her stop and think.

"I believe so." Caitlin replied. "I'll need to look into it more, but I think so."

"So are you okay to keep training Aunt Caitlin?" Nora asked innocently, making Caitlin shake her head.

"No." She laid her hand over Barry's and squeezed gently. "I think I'll sit the rest of this out. I'll be monitoring your vitals, but I think I need to cool off a bit."

Nodding Barry let her go and she settled down at her console in the speed lab, conveniently on the other side of the room from Iris. The training continued as Caitlin studied each of their feeds, but something caught her eye. Nora's vitals were spiking and wavering dangerously. Not good.

"Nora, are you feeling ok?" Iris called and Caitlin looked up, seeing the young speedster on kneeling on the floor, Barry hunched over her. Caitlin ran over, kneeling next to the young woman and gasping. Nora had her hand on dad's shoulder, but that hand was flickering, turning clear and opaque at different times. It was like she was being erased.

"What's happening Aunt Cait?" Nora sounded scared, eyes big in her face. Caitlin froze, Nora having never called her that before. The doctor had a feeling she knew what was happening, and she wanted desperately to be wrong.

"The timeline." She muttered, not wanting to speak her fear. That, and the knowledge she had of Barry considering loving someone other than Iris. "Something is altering the future."

"What?" Iris asked. "Why would the future be changing?"

"Every single decision we make affects the future." Cisco replied, voice troubled. "What we eat for breakfast, which route we take to work, everything. The future is fluid, always changing."

"Still though, Nora shouldn't be doing this. Barry and I are destiny, nothing can change that." Iris sounded like a broken record, repeating a mantra and hoping it would come true.

"Is there anything we can do to stabilize her?" Barry asked Caitlin, dread in his voice. He knew like she did that you could only delay the inevitable only so long. Eventually the timeline catches up to you, whether it be in the form of a speed wraith or the actions of your past being altered.

"I don't think so, not this time." Caitlin shook her head sadly. "We all knew this was a possibility when we decided to let Nora stay in this time. Eventually the timeline and speed force smooth out inconsistencies, and sadly, Nora is a huge anomaly in the timeline."

"Maybe if she runs to a different Earth she can escape being erased?" Iris asked hopefully, but Cisco shot her down with a shake of his head. More of Nora began to flicker.

"Even if she was able to remain in this form, running to another Earth could do one of two things: erase her for good, or she would be trapped on another Earth, unable to go home. The minute she stepped foot onto this Earth and it's timeline, she would be erased."

Suddenly Nora stopped flickering, becoming solid once more. Caitlin breathed a sigh of relief, for the moment Nora was safe. For how long, she couldn't say. She knew that Barry was having second, third, fourth and fifth thoughts about having married Iris. Those doubts were leading to his future daughter being erased. Caitlin wondered if he would have the nerves of steel to follow his heart, or to be ruled by what could be called destiny. Taking a deep breath Frost secured her heart in a vault of ice, ready for the fall out, whatever it may be.

"Let me get you to the med bay." Caitlin stood and offered her hand to the younger woman. "The others can finish training while I check you over."

"You got this?" Barry asked Caitlin, tone quiet.

"Of course." Caitlin smiled at Nora, reassuring her. "We'll go start figuring out what's wrong while you and the others finish up here. Then you can come check on Nora."


	6. Chapter 6

"I know why the timeline is changing." Nora said quietly once they were upstairs in the med bay. She sounded sad but resigned, like she knew this had been coming for a while.

"You do?" Caitlin asked distractedly, busy recording the other woman's vitals. Nora reached out and grabbed the doctors hands, stilling them and forcing her to look her in the eye.

"You love my dad, don't you?" Her dark brown eyes searched frosty blue eyes, face earnest.

Unable to say anything Caitlin nodded, heart hammering fast. Grimly she clamped down on her powers, forcing them back. She didn't want to hurt Nora in any way. She was innocent in this mess called life.

"I see it every time you look at him." Nora continued, small smile on her face. "Even in the Flash Museum, some of the old images had you looking at dad differently than you looked at anyone else. In a few of them, my dad is looking at you the same way."

The young woman tilted her head and sighed, dreamy look on her face.

"Coming back in time helped me realize that what I saw in those images were real. There are genuine feelings shared between the two of you. I also know that dad is beginning to realize it too and that's why I'm fading."

"You have to know Nora, I would never do anything to hurt you." Caitlin felt tears running down her face. She was the cause of the woman before her fading away. A young woman she had come to love like a niece. It hurt her heart to know that her actions can and will erase a person from the timeline.

"I know that Aunt Cait, and I don't blame you. You love my dad and I have a feeling he loves you too. How can I blame you if you make him happy?" Nora sniffed and pulled the doctor into a hug. "I think it will be better this way. If dad is with you, then he won't disappear in the future."

"But you won't exist." Caitlin started, but the other woman interrupted.

"Not this version of me. You'll meet me again, but the situation will be a little different." Nora smiled and shifted to lay down on the bed with a sigh.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine Aunt Caitlin. Just waiting to say goodbye to the others." Nora looked at her and squeezed her hand. "Don't blame yourself for loving dad; he's pretty irresistible."

Caitlin laughed at that, glad that Nora, even though being erased, still has her innocence and happiness. Lightning crackled and Barry arrived in the room with flair, Cisco's portal opening moments later with the others stepping though. Everyone gathered around Nora's bed, all of them concerned. Barry took one of Nora's hands while Iris took the other.

"How are you feeling?" Iris asked gently.

"I'm ok mom, really."

"Are you sure?" Barry asked earnestly before looking up at Caitlin, fear in his eyes. "Is she going to be ok?"

"Right now she's fine. The temporal fluctuations have seemed to level off for the moment, but I can't guarantee anything." Caitlin replied, shaking her head.

"Do we know what's causing this?" Iris asked again, apparently expecting a better answer than just a few minutes ago.

"No. It could be any number of things, or it could be nothing. Just like Cisco explained before, no matter what it is, there really isn't anything we can do."

For a while after that the little family sat talking while Caitlin faded into the background, keeping an eye on her patient while trying not to eavesdrop. It was true, there wasn't much that anyone could do. All this was on Barry what he decides to do, but even then, if he did choose Iris, there was no guarantee that Nora wouldn't still be erased. Late in the evening Nora drifted off to sleep, and with quiet goodbyes Barry and Iris left. Caitlin settled in for the night, munching on the food Cisco had brought her earlier.

The next morning Barry arrived early, the sound of his lightning waking Caitlin. Quickly she checked on Nora, and was glad to see that she was still there. The sound of the door to the room they were in shutting made the doctor look up in surprise. Barry stood in front of the closed door, hands in his pockets, shoulders slumped. Silently he walked forward and took the chair on the other side of Nora, sad look on his face.

"Barry?" Caitlin asked softly.

"I can't do it anymore Cait." Barry ran his hand through his hair, voice troubled. "I can't live this lie anymore."

"I don't understand." she shook her head sadly. "If you choose anyone different than Iris, Nora dies."

"Does she really?" Barry wondered. "She's not even supposed to exist in this timeline, and by being here she changed the timeline she is from. Basically she's stuck in limbo Cait, and this is the only way I can see of how to set things right."

"I'm still not sure -"

"I love you Caitlin Snow. Not Iris, you." Barry blurted out and Caitlin couldn't believe her ears.

"Told you Aunt Caitlin." Nora mumbled, waking up. She smiled at her dad as he squeezed her hand. "I knew that you would end up together."

"But what about you Nora?"

"I'll be fine dad." Nora rolled her eyes. "I'll be going into the Speed Force. I'll always be there."

"What do you want us to tell the others?" Caitlin asked, tear running down her cheek.

"Tell them the timeline caught up with me and I've been absorbed into the Speed Force. It's as close to the whole truth you can get without hurting mom." Nora spoke even as her feet and legs began to disappear.

"We will." Barry was crying quietly now, reaching out to stroke his daughters hair. "I also want you to know that we love you very much, your mother included. You've been a bright spot during a dark time."

"I love you too dad." Caitlin watched, heart sad as Nora disappeared without a trace. Unable to control herself Caitlin broke down, crying hard. Barry stood, coming around the now empty bed to pull her up into a hug. They stood that way for a long time until they heard voices in the hallway outside.

Breaking apart Barry went to open the door, Caitlin moving to turn of the equipment that they were using to monitor Nora. She heard the others reactions to Nora being gone, but refused to turn around, afraid that they would see her heart in her cold eyes. Iris made a big show about having lost her daughter, but Caitlin could see right through the tears. There was no real emotion there, just acting.

"What happened?" Ralph asked in his usual tactless manner.

"The timeline caught up to her and Nora was absorbed into the Speed Force." Barry replied letting Iris go. The other woman still clung to him, crocodile tears glimmering in her eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

A few weeks passed after Nora left them, the days getting easier and easier to work through. Caitlin still felt some guilt on her part, for being the one Barry professed love to, but in the end she realized none of this was her fault. She just plugged away at pretending everything was normal, even though they weren't. Every other night or so Barry would stop back by the lab after work, to check in on Caitlin, knowing that she would be working late like always. They would sit and talk, a lot of the time spent with Caitlin filling Barry in on how Killer Frost had managed to take over after Caitlin died, on what Savitar had been like, and the struggles she'd had after they defeated the future version on himself. It was a quiet time for them both, slowly feeling their way around their budding relationship.

"When are you going to tell Iris about the change of heart?" Caitlin asked one evening as they sat eating Chinese take out. "I don't think we should continue this until that situation is resolved."

"Tomorrow night." Barry replied. "She'll have the night free from her blog and I can sit down and talk to her then."

"Promise me, Barry." She demanded, not wanting to drag this out any longer than needed.

"I promise." He reached over and kissed her on the lips, a gentle press that they both knew that they wanted to turn into something more.

The next night Caitlin was a nervous mess. On the one hand she was over the moon that Barry said he loved her and wanted to see where their relationship could go, but on the other she hated being the reason a marriage failed. Everything in her wanted Barry, and a good portion of her didn't care what hell broke loose to have him. Sitting curled up on her couch in her pjs, she waited to hear from Barry, but in the end, it wasn't Barry who came knocking. It was Iris.

"Iris!" Caitlin opened the door to her apartment, completely shocked. "What are you doing here so late? Is Barry ok?"

"Well I wouldn't know, would I?" Iris snarled. "After all, you're the one my husband thinks about day and night. He's barely home and when he is, it's like he doesn't even want to be there."

"I have no idea -"

"Cut the crap Caitlin." The other woman shoved her way into the apartment, and Caitlin closed the door behind her. "I've gone back and watched the security videos from S.T.A.R. I've seen you interacting with Barry. The kisses, the touches, the time spent together. I never would have expected it from you."

"I honestly never asked for any of this." Caitlin replied crossing her arms across her chest. "I admit I have been in love with Barry ever since he woke up from his coma, but I also knew that nothing would ever happen. You were his obsession and I was just his doctor."

"Apparently Barry has moved on from me." Iris faced Caitlin with a sneer. "Just when I thought our marriage was beginning to heal, you and Killer Frost come along and change the game."

"Really?" Caitlin's temper began to flare, fuse having been cut shorter thanks to Killer Frost's personality having blended with her own. "So you are just going to blame me? Until the night Nora faded, I had no idea Barry was trying to decide between you and me. All I knew is that he was unhappy and questioning his future."

"If there is anyone to blame, it's you. And Barry. It's your marriage, you and Barry are the only ones that can make it work or not. Leave me out of this."

"Excuse me?" Iris sounded like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "How can you claim to be blameless in this situation?"

"Because I am, Iris. Barry is unhappy with you, not me. You're the one he's thinking of leaving, not me. You're the one making him miserable, not me. I'm just here waiting to pick up the pieces and put them back together, just like the doctor I am."

Caitlin moved to the door, opening it for Iris to leave. Barry stood on the other side, hand raised to knock, suitcase in hand. Silence filled the space between them all, no one quite knowing what to say. Barry slipped inside and after putting his suitcase down he shut the door softly, shutting the three of them in. Seemed like now was when things were about to be decided.

"How did you get here so fast Iris?" Barry asked, voice strong despite the bad situation they were all in.

"Right after you told me you don't love my any more, I left and went to S.T.A.R. I watched the footage from the cameras and saw exactly who you've decided is more worth your time compared to me." Iris seethed, fists clenched.

"I shouldn't be surprised; there has always been this connection that the two of you have shared. I was honestly jealous of it, but once we got married, I fully expected it to go away."

Caitlin felt her heart flutter. So it hadn't been her imagination all these years, there had been something that was flickering between them. She wondered if in the original timeline they got together so much sooner, avoiding all this pain. It hurt to wonder, but this timeline has definitely given her a bad hand. She pulled her arms tighter, wanting this night to be over.

"Honestly Iris, I think it's been Caitlin all along." Barry told his soon to be ex-wife, spreading his arms wide. "There's always been something about her that draws me to her. She's been here for me though everything that has happened to me since I became the Flash. It's just something that ties us together tighter and closer than anything that has tied me to you Iris."

Iris stood silent, tears running from her eyes. Caitlin saw that she was slowly accepting the truth, realizing that the last few years have wound the threads holding Barry to Caitlin tighter and tighter. They were polar opposites in personality and powers, but that is what made the space between them light up brighter than the sun. It was electric and natural, and now they they would be able to explore it, Barry and Caitlin might very well burn the world down.

"Ok." Iris said softly, slowly. "This is really happening. We're getting a divorce then, aren't we Barry?"

"Yes Iris." Barry sighed. "I'm sorry, but this feels right. You've had to have known I've been unhappy in our marriage for a while now."

"I chalked it up to dealing with DeVoe, Cicada and Nora. I never imagined that it was me."

"It was both of us Iris. I think I was still in love with the thought of us, but the truth is, the reality wasn't what I wanted. I was still holding onto a crush, a dream. It's not fair to either of us to try and hold into something that doesn't work."

Nodding numbly Iris moved to leave, opening the door before stopping.

"I'm sorry I wasn't enough for you Barry." Then she was gone, leaving them quietly. Wordlessly, Barry opened his arms and Caitlin stepped into them, the two of them finding comfort in each other.

* * *

Soon the divorce was finalized, and Barry was a free man. Caitlin decided to make him supper to celebrate, so she was at her apartment making spaghetti, breadsticks and salad while he finished up at CCPD for the night. She was in the middle of setting the table when he flashed in, wrapping her in his arms, smile on his face.

"Hello Doctor Snow." He murmured into her neck, pressing a soft kiss to her skin. Shivers raced down her spine as she melted into him.

"Hello Mr. Allen." Her arms wrapped around his neck, fingers threading through his hair. They had agreed that until the divorce was final, they wouldn't move past kissing and a few touches here and there. Now that the paperwork was finalized, they could give in.

"Smells good. Is it something that we can heat up later?" His voice was like dark chocolate, green eyes dark with lightning dancing across them.

"Yeah, we can heat it up later." Caitlin smiled up at him, caught up in having her dreams become reality. Yes, she had Killer Frost's memories of her time with Savitar, but she wanted to replace those memories with real memories.

Together they retired to the bedroom, losing themselves in each other. Barry was all heat and strong muscles hidden under smooth skin. Gentle touches and tender kisses covered her from head to toe. She felt desired in a way she hadn't felt in a very, very long time. If ever. It was so beautiful to be held close by Barry, and to finally feel the love that she had craved for so long. He worshiped her like the goddess she was, raising her to higher and higher levels of ecstasy at every touch. He was slow and methodical in his romancing of her body and mind, a pleasant counterpoint to his typical speed. Wave over wave of pleasure washed over Caitlin, drowning her in his scent, his aura. For the first time in a long time, Caitlin felt whole, utterly complete and sated.

Slowly they came down from their high, laying together in comfort, skin to skin, heart to heart. She curled into his side, relishing his arms coming up around her, the two of them fitting together like two pieces of a puzzle. Laying together in the darkness Caitlin felt his chest moving with his breathing, comforting and soothing at the same time.

"Thank you Barry." She whispered in the dark, hand settling over his heart. His hand came up and covered hers.

"What for?" His voice was warm as his other hand cupped her shoulder, thumb stroking her skin.

"For being brave enough to love me."

"I think I've always loved you, I just didn't know it. Now though, I'm glad I did."

"So we managed to change our stars after all."

"Hm?" Slowly Barry was drifting off to sleep.

"Killer Frost told me that we could change our stars if we simply let go, and we did Mr. Allen."

"Yes we did Dr. Snow."


End file.
